Posttraumatic Growth in Traumatic Injured Patients in Mainland China

Abstract

This chapter reviewed a series of studies about post-traumatic growth of accidentally injured patients in mainland China. Firstly, we explored the process of the post-traumatic growth in accidentally injured patients in a qualitative design. Four main superordinate themes emerged: construction of meaning, perception of self, perception of connection, and perception of life philosophy. These themes describe growth and emotional distress which may well coexist. PTG can be seen as one outcome of a process of struggling with traumatic injuries. Secondly, we examined prevalence and predictors of post-traumatic growth in 180 accidentally injured patients of mainland China in their convalescence stage, investigating its relationships with demographic and accidental injury variables, personality, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and coping styles. Our results showed that post-traumatic growth was significantly related to marital status, educational level, personality, coping styles, and PTSD symptoms. Avoidance of PTSD symptoms, openness to experience, and positive coping were the significant predictors of PTG. The findings emphasized that when promoting PTG of accidentally injured patients, health-care providers should facilitate the patients to take advantage of their personal resources, to realize the fact that post-traumatic growth coexists with PTSD symptoms, and to adjust strategies for improving post-traumatic growth based on the coping styles the patients have adopted. Thirdly, we investigated the relationship between post-traumatic growth and PTSD in a longitudinal design and their relationship with psychological health variables (including depression symptoms, satisfaction with life, and psychological well-being). Post-traumatic growth was positively associated with PTSD at an early stage after traumatic injury but was unrelated with PTSD at 1-year follow-up. Post-traumatic growth at different time points significantly predicted psychological health outcomes. Delayed PTSD rather than early PTSD was the significant predictor of psychological health outcomes. The results of our studies support the adjustment value of post-traumatic growth, and health-care providers should address both positive and psychopathological changes to promote the recovery of traumatically injured patients.